Tesla sales almost halve due to Musk’s interference in EU politics

Sales of new Tesla cars almost halved in Europe last month, indicating waning demand for the U.S. carmaker’s vehicles as its chief executive Elon Musk intervened repeatedly in the politics on both sides of the Atlantic, The Guardian writes.

The Texas-based carmaker sold 9,945 vehicles in Europe in January, down 45% from last year’s 18,161, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Tesla’s share of the market dropped to 1% from 1.8%.

The tech billionaire, a close adviser to the US president, has become a vocal supporter of Germany’s far-right AfD party in recent months, and described it in January as the “best hope for the future” in Germany.

Musk also waded into the U.K.’s political row about grooming gangs.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, joined the Norwegian, British and German leaders in early January in responding to a barrage of hostile social media posts by Musk backing far-right political parties and criticizing leftwing politicians in Europe.

Tesla sold 1,277 new cars last month in Germany, its lowest monthly total since July 2021, according to Bloomberg calculations. Sales in France plummeted 63% in its worst performance in the country since August 2022.

The company also registered fewer vehicles in the UK than its Chinese electric car rival BYD for the first time. Tesla’s sales fell by nearly 8% in an EV market that grew by 42% last month.

The slump came as the European market for new battery-electric cars grew by 34% to 124,341 units, capturing a 15% share of the total car market, the figures from the ACEA showed.